Wellbeing
Student Services
Wellbeing Team Members 2019:
Head of Student Services: Michael Alexis
Adolescent Health Nurse: Brittany Whitelock
School Chaplain: Joyce Harris
Welcome to the newest member of our team—Joyce Harris.
Our new School Chaplain, Joyce Harris, joins South Oakleigh College as part of the Wellbeing team and school community.
Joyce comes from a mental health, nursing, and social work background. Besides her years of professional experiences in primary care, tertiary and community services, Joyce has experienced life outside Australia through travel and volunteering overseas among SE African, South and SE Asian communities.
Joyce enjoys learning: ‘I am a perpetual student of life. There is so much to explore and understand.’ Joyce’s relaxation activities include reading, writing, water-colouring, photography, the great outdoors, permaculture, being creative, exploring, theatre and other arts.
Australians who inspire Joyce include Rev. Dr John Flynn whose perseverance, gifts of communication and negotiation brought about both the school of the air and emergency medical aid and local primary health services to the settlers in outback Australia. The latter service became known as the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
A contemporary Australian female that inspires Joyce is Christine Caine and her husband who have founded A21, which stands for Abolition in the 21st century. A21 raises awareness of the crime of modern slavery—it rescues, then prosecutes offenders whilst rehabilitating the victims of crime.
For Joyce it is a joy to return to school and step into the role of Chaplain. She has fond memories of her own school Chaplain’s interest in students’ lives and is excited to support the students of South Oakleigh from within the Wellbeing team.
‘Wellbeing in general is a personal journey of hope, life, and joy. We are each on that journey; towards a life that brings meaning and contributes to our community. We don’t always get things right, but how we manage our decisions is a necessary responsibility. And how we identify our options, and make our choices mostly reflects our values; this is the personal framework that our wellbeing rides on.’
For Joyce, it is about supporting each student towards navigating life well. Joyce is available Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Mr Michael Alexis
Head of Student Services
Looking after yourself
Your brain and body are closely connected – looking after your body has great benefits for your mind. Activities like sport, dance, walking or yoga can increase your performance by increasing oxygen to your brain. They are also great at reducing tension from stress and school pressure.
Some stress can be useful in keeping us motivated – without it we would find it hard to stay awake! However, during Year 12, and especially during exam time, you may find your stress levels rising high into the ‘critical zone’, causing a dramatic decline in performance.
Proven strategies for beating stress include:
•Relaxation: smartphone apps like Smiling Mind can help
•Time management: try making a list of activities and prioritise
•Connecting with others: talk about your worries, laugh and be positive!
One other important part of looking after yourself is making sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep is food for the brain. Sleep is essential to your wellbeing, just like the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat.
If you feel like stress and study are all getting too much, come and have a (confidential) chat with a member of the wellbeing team.
Brittany Whitelock
School Nurse
Breakfast CLub
Breakfast Club runs every Thursday morning at 8:00am in the canteen and provides an opportunity for our students to have breakfast, especially as we recognise some students may not always have time to eat breakfast or may be in a situation where they can’t afford something to eat. Our Student Leaders are proud to be hosting Breakfast Club and many students and staff alike also see Breakfast Club as a social opportunity to catch up in a warm and buzzing environment.
Andrew Leap
S.R.C. Secretary
